Santa Clara University

Grants are awarded on the basis of financial need and may not have to be paid back.

Federal Pell Grant
The Federal Pell Grant program provides need-based grants to students and is determined by the U.S. Department of Education. Federal Pell Grants range between $976 and $5,350. The Federal Pell Grants are awarded to undergraduate students who qualifies and who have not earned a bachelor's degree. Grants can be used for tuition, fees and living expenses. Students can be enrolled for less than half time. When you file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), you are automatically considered for a Federal Pell Grant. Your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) will determine if you and the amount of the award.

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant
The Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) is a need-based federal Grant available to students with the most exceptional need, who have not yet received a bachelor's degree. The Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant ranges between $100 and $4,000 a year. Priority is given to students who are eligible for a Federal Pell Grant, and then to other undergraduate students with the greatest need.

Academic Competitiveness Grant
The Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG) program will provide up to $750 for the first year of undergraduate study and up to $1,300 for the second year of undergraduate study to full time students who are eligible for a Federal Pell Grant and who have successfully completed a rigorous high school program as determined by the state or local education agency and recognized by the Secretary of Education. Second year students must also have maintained a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0.

National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grant
The National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grant (SMART Grant) program will provide up to $4,000 for each of the third and fourth years of undergraduate study to full time students who are eligible for a Federal Pell Grant and who are majoring in physical, life, or computer science, mathematics, technology, or engineering or a foreign language (determined critical to national security). The student must also have maintained a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 in coursework required for the major.

Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grant
Effective July 1, 2008, the CCRAA establishes the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant Program, which provides up to $4,000 a year in grant assistance to students who plan on becoming teachers and teachers who are obtaining graduate degrees.

In exchange for the grant, candidates must agree to serve as a full-time teacher at certain schools and within certain fields for at least four academic years within eight years after completing the course of study for which the candidate received a grant. If the candidate fails or refuses to carry out his or her teaching obligation, the amounts of the TEACH Grants received are treated as an William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan - Unsubsidized and must be repaid with interest.

Applicants for TEACH Grants may be undergraduate students, graduate students, students enrolled in a post-baccalaureate teacher credential program, or current or prospective teachers.

To qualify for a TEACH Grant, an applicant must meet certain academic standards. An applicant who is enrolled as an undergraduate student may qualify if s/he has a 3.25 grade point average (on a 4.0 scale). If the student is in the first year of college, the grade point average standard applies to the student’s cumulative high school record. Alternatively, an applicant qualifies if s/he scores above the 75th percentile on at least one of the batteries in an undergraduate, post-baccalaureate or graduate school admissions test. In any case, the student must be completing (or planning to complete) the coursework or requirements necessary to begin a career in teaching.

The GPA requirements do not apply to certain applicants who are or will be working on a graduate degree. Those applicants include a current teacher or retiree from another occupation with expertise in a field where there is a shortage of teachers (e.g., mathematics, science, special education, English language acquisition, or another high-need field).

To receive TEACH Grants, a teacher candidate must agree to:

• Must complete the TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve (ATS);
  
• Serve as a full-time teacher for a total of not less than four academic years within eight years of completing his or her course of study;
• Comply with the requirements for being a highly qualified teacher as defined in section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act;
• Teach at a public or private nonprofit elementary or secondary school that is eligible for assistance under Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as provided in section 465(a)(2)(A) of the HEA;
• Teach in any of the following fields: mathematics, science, a foreign language, bilingual education, special education, as a reading specialist or in another field designated as high need by the Federal Government, State Government or local educational agency and approved by the Secretary;
• Provide evidence of required employment after each year of service in the form of a certification by the chief administrative officer of the school;
• If the candidate fails or refuses to carry out his or her service obligation, repay as a loan the total amount of TEACH Grants received plus interest..
  

More information is available in the grants section of Funding Education Beyond High School regarding Federal Grants.